Amy Schectman

Saul and Gitta Kurlat Chief Executive Officer of 2Life Communities
Amy Schectman

Amy is that rare leader who uses both sides of her brain to the fullest, combining an analytical approach to problem-solving with a creative spark that leads to breakthrough solutions. Undergirding it all is her deep commitment to social justice — a commitment that has guided Amy through decades of work in the public and nonprofit sectors to advance affordable housing, economic development, and equity. In more than a decade leading 2Life Communities, Amy has worked to create a vibrant strategic plan, created a quasi-endowment to support agency innovation, built and nurtured an effective team at all levels of the organization, and launched an aggressive expansion campaign to fill gaps in the senior housing affordability marketplace.

A recognized thought leader on aging in community, Amy serves on the Governor’s Housing Advisory Council in Massachusetts and is a past president of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the statewide umbrella organization for affordable housing professionals. She also serves on the boards of Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation and The Community Builders.

Amy has been invited to the White House four times and frequently engages with members of Congress and local and state elected officials. In 2021, she was awarded the Outstanding Impact Award from CHAPA for her "unparalleled commitment to ensuring healthy, affordable housing as a foundation for people to thrive at every stage of life." The following year, she was honored as a McKnight's Women of Distinction and named as a Changemaker by Senior Housing News.

Early in her career, Amy served as Governor Michael Dukakis’ director of capital budget and planning, as well as planning director at Boston Housing Authority. She was the Town of Brookline’s first economic development director and Massachusetts Director of Public Housing/Rental Assistance. Amy has a B.A. in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree in city planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
 

We at 2Life Communities advance an agenda that not only provides essential affordable housing, it also recognizes the role our elders can play in building a just and good society.  The Torah teaches us that the most important commandment is to honor thy mother and father. We consider that a collective enterprise, and to have our work make that true is sublime.